


Quick Taxi Vent

by ShockWonder



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, References to Depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:48:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27862577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShockWonder/pseuds/ShockWonder
Summary: Stress has been getting to Denbe lately, and he's been keeping it inside up until this point. When a bad sequence of events starts Denbe's day off terribly (and late, at that), he ends up accidentally revealing a secret he's been withholding from one of his closest and best friends.
Kudos: 1





	Quick Taxi Vent

**Author's Note:**

> For context:
> 
> If you didn't already know, Denbe, Hakuto, Akira, and Ryosuke are four members of a band called Wild Card.
> 
> Denbe personally doesn't like to be escorted to performances because he doesn't like being too grand about things. He'd much rather still act like a member of society, even as a famous person.
> 
> However, because of this, it's up to him to make it to concerts on time.
> 
> He, however, does not always get there when he needs to be. While the managers are fine with it, Hakuto, as the leader of Wild Card, is not sometimes.

“Oh, no! Come on, come on, come on….”

Denbe was in a hurry. He’d woken up to the sound of his alarm clock waking him up... about 35 minutes after he’d set it to go off, with no time to get ready for work. His jet black hair was a mess, and he didn’t have time to shower, or eat.

He threw on the outfit he was supposed to wear today, gathered up the necessary items, and rushed out of the door of his apartment, taking a minute to lock the door behind him.

Glancing at the watch on his right wrist, he realized he’d missed the bus that would have taken him to the concert hall. It was 8:40 a.m. now, and the bus left at 8:30 a.m.

“Just great…” he groaned, “but it’ll have to do if I want to make it there on time.”

He hailed a taxi, knowing full well that he’d end up paying quite a bit more than he usually would if he’d taken the bus. As soon as the cab pulled up to the curb, Denbe had practically jumped inside and called out a destination, urging the driver to step on the gas.

She grunted, but without a second thought, the taxi was off in a hurry, and Denbe stopped for a bit to collect his thoughts.

He quickly made a decision, pulling out his phone to call his best friend and colleague to notify him he’d be at the concert hall late.

One ring.

“Come on, Hakki, pick up the phone…”

Two rings.

“Hakuto, I swear to God, if you don’t pick up the phone right now, so help me-”

“...hello?”

“Thank God, Hakki. Listen, I ended up waking up late, I’m gonna be late for the concert preparations, so sorry about that.”

“...why are you late again?” he reproached. “You’ve been in a habit of doing this for a bit now, Denbe, and while our manager doesn’t entirely mind the fact that you’re late, I personally don’t favor this sort of behavior. I don't understand why you keep telling us to not send someone to pick you up."

Denbe scoffed, his golden-yellow eyes rolling into the back of his head and to the front again.

Typical of Hakuto to speak with such decorum. This was his best friend he was talking to, and yet Hakuto was speaking like he was his boss.

“Hakki, it's because I want to stay inconspicuous. And drop the polite behavior as our leader for a bit; just talk to me like a friend! First off, if our manager doesn’t mind, then I don’t find it a big deal for you. And two, why are you so upset? Why do you care about the fact that I’m late?”

“...Denbe. It’s because we’re best friends that I find this a problem. We promised we’d look out for each other during our first year at Midori, remember? Now, while we’re in high school, Wild Card’s one of the most famous bands out there, and because of this, we’re probably one of the closest friend groups out there. God, we have a concert today. We’re preparing for it backstage, and you’re late! You’re supposed to be here before 9:00!”

“Well…”

“Now, how do you think I feel, seeing you show up disheveled and in a messy state every day, even on the day of a concert? Denbe, I care about you, and that’s why I’m upset about this behavior of yours.”

“But you don’t need to be so pedantic about it!”

“Well, what else am I supposed to do? Say, ‘Oh, hey, you look like a freakin’ mess there, Denbe, need any help there?’ I won’t just call you out on that! Not in such a rude manner, anyway…”

“...Hakki, please, just stop. It… hasn’t been going well for me lately, and I don’t want to talk any more about this than I need to.”

“...what?”

“I’m… back on them. The… pills. Antidepressants.”

“You’re… you’re back? Denbe, I thought you had been feeling better lately.”

“Yep, that’s what I thought too. But of course, **it** has to rear its ugly head around here and ruin this… once again.”

“...Denbe, why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“Well-”

“How long until you’re at the concert hall?”

“...twenty minutes? Maybe?”

“Then can you possibly talk to me a little? Maybe just- no, I’m busy as of right now, sorry, just give me ten minutes… you will? Okay.”

“Huh?”

“Sorry, Keiko interrupted, she’s working the lighting for the concert. It’s not too big of a deal. Now, Denbe, can you talk to me? Just tell me how you’ve been feeling.”

“I’ve been… honestly, I’ve been suffering. A lot. It’s not easy to just keep continuing like this, not during such dreadful times like these. I’ve also been seeing my therapist again.”

“Anything else?”

“Well… it just hasn’t been easy lately. I’ve been trying to hold it in… but things slip out, don’t they?”

“...but _Deku,_ why haven’t you told me this? I’ve said this before, but you’re my best friend.”

...he’d finally opened up. 

Deku was a nickname Denbe got when he introduced Hakuto to a few of his favorite anime series… back when the two saw each other as just best friends, and not members of a band.

And now, Hakuto said that nickname with such a softness Denbe could recognize. It was informal, and not like how he’d been acting before. 

It was like a part of him had unlocked, and his voice gave off a much more magnanimous tone, one that sounded more forgiving and not as though Denbe would be fired for this.

“Hakki, it’s because of the fact that you’re my best friend that I’m doing this. I… don’t want to weigh you down with the troubles I’ve been having, even if… it means I handle all this alone.”

“But Deku… I-I’m your best friend for a reason. I’m s-supposed to be here for you. And I know that you know that. Why won’t you open up? Wh-Why won’t you just tell me how you feel?”

These conversations happened so often that they had some banality to them at this point. And every single time, Denbe could feel his heart break inside, making the same mistakes that he always did. Even if Denbe wanted to change, he kept on holding this stuff in.

And Hakuto ended up hurt every time this happened, too. It hurt to have your best friend not want to open up, and it struck his heart, tearing it apart, piece by piece.

On the other end of the call, Hakuto felt his vision cloud through his tinted glasses, his emerald eyes welling up with tears.

"Deku, please, just... j-just promise me that you'll... please... I don't want to have to keep... t-to keep going through this..." Hakuto sobbed, his voice cracking further with every word he said.

“I’m sorry,” Denbe choked, as he started breaking down in the back seat of the taxi. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry, but I j-just… I don’t want to make this harder for you… not when you’re dealing with work and all that.”

“D-Deku, please… just breathe. It’s okay. It’s… it’s my fault, for chewing you out for being late again earlier.”

“No, no, it isn’t. I just… whew. I’m sorry,” Denbe sighed, as he composed himself again.

The two were left in silence for a bit, before Hakuto proposed an idea.

“Do you maybe… want to just have some fun at the arcade later? If you want, we could get some ice cream, too.”

“Hakuto, we did that when we first started high school. We’re nearly 18 now.”

“And we’re still going back to the same habit that we had when we just started high school. Might as well just relive our entire past again,” Hakuto joked, lightheartedly.

“Well… you have a point,” Denbe chuckled. “But later, after our jobs are done and out of the way.”

“A-Alright. I’ll be seeing you in a bit,” Hakuto concluded, as the line dropped on his end.

The entire endeavor had taken fifteen minutes, rather than ten. But either way, he’d done what needed to be done.

  
  
  


Five minutes later, the taxi stopped in front of the concert hall, and Denbe got out and quickly rushed in.

The doors flew open, and as Denbe was heading for the front of the concert hall, he nearly got tackled into a hug, a gust of wind and a mess of white hair flying into his face.

When it settled, all Denbe could see were tinted lenses and green eyes.

“D-Deku…”

Hakuto. He knew that voice.

He wrapped his arms around Hakuto, letting a tear slip from his eye again.

“I’m sorry. I really am, Hakki, I am.”

“It’s alright. We… we have the rest of the day to make up for it, after all.”

Denbe chuckled, as the two of them separated again.

“So… we still up for ice cream later? Some games at the arcade?”

“Heh, you bet. We’re taking our managers along for this one, too.”

With one last look, one last laugh, and one last smile shared between the two of them, they both headed into the front of the concert hall.

With that, the day finally commenced, like that of the curtains rising and a show finally beginning.

It might have had its struggles, but it looked to be looking up now.

  
  
  


And that was what mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback appreciated!


End file.
